§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration who were treated privately with photodynamic therapy in NHS hospitals in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement. [138048]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Department does not collect data on the number of patients treated privately with photodynamic therapy in national health service hospitals.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations(a) he and (b) his ministerial colleagues has received from (i) the Royal College of Ophthalmology, (ii) the AMD Alliance and (iii) the RNIB on the implementation of NICE guidance for wet age-related macular degeneration; and if he will make a statement. [138049]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonWe have recently received representations from the Royal National Institute for the Blind and the Macular Disease Society raising concerns about the extended implementation period from three to nine months. They were concerned that primary care trusts would delay paying for photodynamic therapy (PDT) until the latest possible time. Specialised commissioning groups are leading the implementation of PDT and at a meeting held on 1119W 4 November, departmental officials made clear that funding should not delay implementation of the guidance. The Department is also working closely with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists on the implementation of the guidance.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether reading centres assessing patients with wet age-related macular degeneration for treatment with photodynamic therapy will be required to make a diagnosis before patients are treated; and if he will make a statement. [138050]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonReading centres assessing patients with wet age-related macular degeneration for treatment with photodynamic therapy (PDT) will not be required to make a diagnosis before patients are treated. For the moment, reporting on the same day, in real time, by the reading centres service is not feasible. Consequently to avoid delay, PDT will be offered on the basis of the initial judgement of the clinician at the PDT centre, with confirmation of the diagnosis by the reading centres service being made after the first PDT treatment has occurred.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of providing photodynamic therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration(a) by primary care trusts, (b) by hospital trusts and (c) in total; and if he will make a statement. [138051]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe National Institute for Clinical Excellence has estimated that the cost of providing photodynamic therapy (PDT) to 1000 patients per year would be in the region of £4 million in the first year, rising to £8.3 million by the third year and remaining constant thereafter. PDT is a specialised service and we would expect up to 50 centres to be supported. Therefore, every primary care trust (PCT) or hospital trust is not expected to provide this service. Initially, specialised commissioners will fund the service and PCTs will need to consider longer term funding arrangements.
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients with classic no occult wet age-related macular degeneration who are unable to receive photodynamic therapy on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [138052]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonOn the basis of limited epidemiological data, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) estimated that each year in England and Wales there may be 5000 to 7500 new cases of predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) associated with wet age-related macular degeneration. However, they noted there is a high degree of uncertainty about this estimate. We have asked the National Health Service to ensure that patients with suspected CNV are treated wherever capacity exists to do so. By July 2004, the NICE guidance will have been implemented fully across the country and capacity will build between now and then.
1120W
§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have equipment and trained professionals in place to provide photodynamic therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration; and if he will make a statement. [138053]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThere are approximately 30 centres providing photodynamic therapy. Some are well established, others are coming on stream. We expect that up to 50 centres will be set up to deliver the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's recommendations. As a specialised service, we expect commissioners to plan for centres to serve a population of not less than a million.